The Best Snowboards for Men

Our Picks of Men's Snowboards

Best Overall Snowboard

Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon

The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon truly lives up to its name by being the most responsive, stable, and genuinely high-octane snowboard our team tested. It provides a dynamic, luxurious feel that is only enhanced by its carbon fiber design. Throughout our testing, it delivered solid edge hold in firm and icy snow while providing a fluid, engaging, and powerful experience that originates from its poplar, paulownia, and titanal core. This board floats well in powder with an 11 mm taper, and it easily planes across the snow thanks to its half-camber, which provides camber where needed and rocker on the tip and tail for ultimate glide in deep snow and stability on hardpack. The medium-stiff flex and semi-damp ride add stability, allowing for big, swooping turns and a smoother ride on uneven snow. The Goat is genuinely a futuristic ride due to its lightweight build, which utilizes carbon fiber to increase pop and jumping capabilities. These stringers also add stiffness and steadiness throughout the board, resulting in one of our testers remarking, “This is a dominant board when it comes to tackling treacherous terrain”.

Shape	Directional
Camber/Rocker	Camber, rocker
Flex	8
Tested Length	162 cm
Weight of Tested Length	6.8 lbs

The main challenge for the Goat is carving short radius turns. The 162 we rode had a sidecut of 10 meters, and we could feel this reflected in its reluctance to make quick turns. After about half a run, we started dialing it in, but it took some effort to get each turn around. Its stiff flex pattern didn't help with this, and if you're looking to make super tight carves or bank turns, the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon may not be for you. It is a board made for those riders who want a capable freeride product that doesn't feel like an edgy plank but a snappy, responsive, lightweight board, which our team said “Can sprock off of jumps, sidehits, and flatground.” The Jones Howler is a great pick if you want a board that can handle long and short turns.

Read more: Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon review

Best Snowboard for Powder

Rome Ravine Pro

When it comes to effortlessly levitating on top of deep powder, no other board could match the Rome Ravine Pro's pure feel when laying down long turns, blowing massive rooster tails, and landing off of drops and cliffs of all sizes. Its minimal 7.5 mm taper and directional shape provide more surface area throughout the entire board, while the oversized 3D diamond spooned and rocker-shaped nose provides unrivaled lift. While the nose just wants to fly, the tail of this technologically advanced snowboard is packed with carbon fiber hotrods, which not only act as stiff supports when landing, but also generate insane amounts of pop when going for more airtime. It's easy to initiate turns thanks to a hybrid camber profile that features rocker in the bow, gradually transitioning to traditional camber in the back half for added power and flow when exiting tight and wide turns alike. The Ravine Pro is further enhanced for use on hard-to-traverse catwalks and flats, thanks to its sintered base, which glides with minimal friction. Our testing team felt it is “The best on the market, providing superior speed and wax retention”.

Shape	Directional
Camber/Rocker	Camber, rocker
Flex	7
Tested Length	158 cm
Weight of Tested Length	6.6 lbs

The Rome Ravine Pro is a beautiful machine when combined with some fresh snow or even a groomed day jumping around side hits, but we were left wanting a bit more to play with in other conditions. It is relatively stiff, tapered, and directionally shaped, all features that don't lend themselves to fun or playfulness on a slushy spring day of park laps. The Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge is a much more playful board, but it isn't as great for powder days. The Ravine Pro also has a narrower waist than other boards in our lineup, which might not work for riders with large feet. Our tester with the largest feet wears a size 11, which just barely worked for this setup, and still had a bit of toe drag. Despite lacking playfulness, the Ravine Pro is ultimately a stellar snowboard in fresh snow. This model is sure to be your go-to powder pillager and is suitable for a range of riders from early intermediate to highly advanced experts.

Read more: Rome Ravine Pro review

Best for Carving

Jones Howler

The Jones Howler is one of our test team's favorite models that the company has produced. Its enhanced directional all-mountain shape is a freerider's fantasy. The lengthy sidecut with Jones's Traction Tech creates long and medium-shaped carves that leave trenches in firm snow. The 3D Contour Base delivers smooth edge-to-edge transitions and a catch-free ride, despite being one of the most cambered boards in our lineup. Its cambered profile creates a generally stiff feel from tip to tail and impressive pop, stability, and powerful turns. The model does everything better than your average all-mountain board, and our lead tester reported, “I'm happy to ride this board on any day, in any condition.”

Shape	Directional
Camber/Rocker	Camber
Flex	8
Tested Length	160W cm
Weight of Tested Length	6.6 lbs

Although the Howler is incredibly capable, beginner and intermediate riders may struggle to unlock its true potential. Its stiffness and powerful yet edgy nature require technique and commitment to pilot properly and derive the full benefits. Some riders may struggle to showcase their best riding because the level of refinement needed to capitalize on its performance takes time to master. The Jones Howler is great for advanced to expert riders looking to leave their arcs all over the mountain and push their powder prowess to the next level. It could be a good board to grow into, but if you're looking for a more playful, beginner-friendly ride, check out the Weston Gnarnia.

Read more: Jones Howler review

Best for Cliffs and Kickers

Arbor Rain

The Arbor Rain delivers the most spectacular pop out of any snowboard throughout our entire field of tested products. On top of that, it also provides great float and superior stability, all of which are attributes one can hope for when hitting large cliffs and kickers. Advanced riders will appreciate the solid landing platform and the responsiveness that allows them to make micro-adjustments on their approach. Overall, this can help inspire more confidence to tackle bigger jumps and tricks. The Candle Rain's construction ensures a smooth and stable ride, even at high speeds, increasing confidence when navigating challenging terrain. “I found it's the perfect board if you're ready to take your freestyle tricks from the park to the entire mountain,” our lead tester said.

Shape	Directional twin
Camber/Rocker	Parabolic camber
Flex	8
Tested Length	159 cm
Weight of Tested Length	6.7 lbs

The Arbor Rain has some limitations. It features a hyper-stiff flex pattern and medium-length sidecut. On the mountain, this means it has great stability at higher speeds, but it makes for a much less playful, harder-to-carve snowboard, especially at low to medium speeds. It is a classic, old-school all-mountain board with modern construction: stiff and cambered, with a mid-length sidecut and a classic shape. This board is not ideal for intermediates, and advanced riders might even notice additional challenges. It's best suited for experienced riders who prioritize airtime, speed, and stability for ripping down the most challenging lines on the mountain. The Arbor El Camino is another board that performs well at higher speeds, but is a bit more well-rounded overall.

Read more: Arbor Rain review

for All Around Performance

Arbor El Camino

Within our jam-packed lineup of all-mountain boards, there was one that shone through the rest for its outstanding performance on every turn, jump, bank, and slope it was tested on, the Arbor El Camino. It toes the line gracefully between playful and powerful, making it one of the most reliable choices for anyone looking for a daily driver. Its interior of poplar and paulownia is complemented by two carbon stringers running from tip to tail, making it both fun and sturdy when going from butter to high-speed carve. Although this board looks nearly twin, its directional roots and the setback hole pattern make it an excellent option for switching between intense hard-packed runs and free-flowing powder days. This board truly can do it all, from popping through powder pillows to airing jumps and spinning cat tracks. Our testing team even exclaimed, “It's super fun to carve, dip, and rip around the mountain. It's got a ferocious snap and pop that make all types of terrain and conditions more enjoyable.”

Shape	Directional
Camber/Rocker	Parabolic camber
Flex	8
Tested Length	158 cm
Weight of Tested Length	6.8 lbs

The most significant feature of this board is both a pro and a con. The El Camino features Arbor's signature Griptech technology, which consists of four small bumps protruding from the edges on either side of the board. This feature can be catchy in hard-packed or icy conditions, and it took our testers several runs to finally come to grips with it. Once we got the feel for these added contact points, we ultimately had more control in unforgiving conditions. We also found one other downfall in this board's waist width. We rode a 158cm with a waist width of 25.2 centimeters and experienced toe drag even in a men's size 10 boot. Toe and heel drag can significantly impede the carving experience. Before purchase, evaluate your riding style and compare the size chart with your boot length to see if you'll experience consequential drag like we did. The Jones Howler is a very different board, but it has a wider width that will prevent drag for those who wear a larger size boot. Despite these drawbacks, the El Camino is our team's favorite snowboard for every condition, every day of the year, and could end up being the ultimate quiver killer.

Read more: Arbor El Camino review

Notable Mention for Most Playful

Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge

From the moment our team stepped onto the Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge, we could feel a different zest for the slope that this snowboard contains within its core. It comes well-equipped from the inside out, starting with its core of poplar, paulownia, and bamboo, which creates a responsive, durable, and lightweight ride. Its directional interior is nearly unnoticeable amongst the twin shape, but this allows for ultimate versatility on both large and small terrains. The profile of this commanding snowboard is classically cambered and backed by carbon fiber strips for improved edge hold, pop, and stiffness, all while Yes' unique Y3D base allows for a more playful and buttery feel throughout the entire mountain. This results in a stable ride when hauling bootie down uneven, bumpy terrain, but also a magical, spritely feel when spinning offside hits and pressing down rails. Our lead tester had such an excitable day, he noted that “This board is extremely easy to butter and smash around despite its stiff profile”. In addition to a playful vibe, the medium sidecut will provide grip when security matters most.

While the Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge had our testing team hooting and hollering from the fun, it doesn't come without its downsides. Its core, carbon fiber inlay, and fully cambered profile make it the stiffest snowboard throughout our entire tested lineup. Unfortunately, when this model was put into fresh snow, our testing team noticed its tendency to “Dive, dive, dive” and we ended up falling more than once. For a more powder-friendly model, take a look at the Rome Ravine Pro. It also took our team a bit of work to develop a comfortable, stable feel when riding the Airmaster at high speeds due to the medium radial sidecut and the Y3D base's loose feel. Despite these downfalls, this is one of the more user-friendly snowboards throughout our men's lineup, and we had a blast when riding it from opening bell to closing bell.

Read more: Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge review

How We Tested

To get our hands on next year's boards, we reached out to over 20 of the industry's most reputable brands, requesting early access to new models. The brands you see in this review are the ones that chose to participate. We bought boards at full price, just like any other snowboard shop, sticking to our golden GearLab rule of no bias. We then spent months with them underfoot at a myriad of Resorts and backcountry locations, putting them through a series of in-depth assessments. Check out our how we test article to gain further insight into our process.

We tested each snowboard using five rating metrics:

• Edging (25% of overall score weighting)

• Float in Powder (20% weighting)

• Stability at Speed (20% weighting)

• Playfulness (20% weighting)

• Pop and Jumping (15% weighting)

Why Trust GearLab

Aspen Rain Weaver grew up in northern New Mexico and was raised by a family of mountain lovers. He started skiing just after learning how to walk and eventually switched to a snowboard at the ripe age of seven. Since then, he has amassed a wealth of knowledge in the snow industry, developing high-end snowboard gear with well-known brands while traveling the world in pursuit of snow. After nearly 30 years of riding, Aspen's attention to detail and design has fine-tuned his ability ot offer an expert perspective on each product's function and feel.

Ross Patton has been snowboarding for more than 25 years. He was practically raised on snow, with a chairlift mechanic dad and a mom who won Ski Patroller of the Year at Solitude in 1982. Ross has ridden hundreds of snowboards, and with a degree in Environmental Science and a background in snowboard R&D, you can trust that he is not pulling punches in his critiques.

Analysis and Test Results

Imagine taking part in a blind taste test, attempting to taste the difference between 1%, 2%, and whole milk, and your job is to pick the best. Unless you're a milk connoisseur, each version might be so close in taste that, in the end, it all just tastes like milk. See what we're getting at? But what if one milk had a touch of chocolate in it? We're here to help you determine which all-mountain board is your chocolate milk. Your friends' opinions might vary, and other factors might weigh in. But if you know what characteristics are important to you, we (industry-verified milk connoisseurs) can tell you which board has them.

What's the Best Value?

Two things every snow enthusiast loves: free refills and good value. However, in the world of snowboards, the cost spread is narrow; on most occasions, only a couple of hundred dollars separates the most affordable board from the most expensive. Pricing differences depend on several factors, including materials, manufacturer location, and brand size. In our testing, cost didn't always correlate to better performance. Numerous boards were lower in cost and posted impressive, competitive scores. The Arbor El Camino and Rome Ravine Pro represent two highly valued, price-to-performance products. The high-scoring Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon is a steeply priced board, but that is far from unreasonable given its power and luxurious feel. In this case, it presents a solid value based on the materials used, performance scores, and the quality of this product.

Edging

In our team's quest to find the board with the best edge control, we looked for models that roll on edge easily, maintain consistent hold, and finish turns with ease and power. We tested every board on hardpack and pristine groomers, ripping through heelside turns and surfing toe-side carves to discover standout models.

A variety of design factors influence edge hold on firm snow, but the key determinants are a snowboard's profile, edge-disruption technology, stiffness, and sidecut radius. Manufacturers use different edge styles to achieve better grip; Jones' Traction Tech and Arbor's Griptech Pods are two examples. The approach is different: Traction Tech features a wavy edge design, which increases the number of contact points along the snowboard's edge, and is found on the Jones Howler. In contrast, the Griptech has three different unblended sidecut radii to create additional contact points underfoot. This system is found on the Arbor El Camino. Both boards offered excellent edge hold in firm to icy snow. However, we found Griptech to be catchy at times.

The Jones Howler is truly the most incredible board we tested when it comes to edge grip, and this blade of a snowboard can nearly slice through ice. In addition to Traction Tech, the Jones features the only full-camber profile in our lineup, adding stability, enhancing maneuverability, and providing superior edge hold. The classic camber of this board also maintains power through turns, allowing our testers to actually gain momentum out of medium to long carves.

One of our favorite boards to edge on is also the most technologically advanced. The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon has a core of blended poplar, paulownia, and titanal. These components are wrapped in carbon fiber, resulting in one of the hardest-carving, downright burly snowboards we tested. It rides like a mustang that has yet to be broken, stiff and pissed. Its massive sidecut and mostly cambered profile make large swooping turns even more powerful, and our testers remarked that “this thing actually picks up speed exiting turns.” That said, it takes an advanced rider to coax out the Goat Pro Carbon's true potential.

The Never Summer Eclipse Proto T3 also provides incredible grip on icy snow thanks to its triple-camber profile and Powergrip, which increases the number of contact points in the snow. Together, these technologies ensure the snowboard maintains a strong hold in icy conditions by maximizing contact points and distributing pressure evenly, providing a reliable and stable ride when it matters most.

Being able to go full tilt on a board helps with deep carves; a wider waist width is essential to avoid the dreaded toe and heel drag. The key is not to go too wide, which will make for a slower, more tiring turn initiation. Most boards are easy to size to avoid heel and toe drag, but it's best to cross-check your specific boot length against the board's specifications.

The Rome Ravine Pro was a top performer when we were executing powerful, fun turns. It offers an easy exit and transitions from long, sturdy carves to tight, loose turns with balance. The Arbor El Camino is a capable edging model with a lively carbon fiber core, softer torsional flex, and Griptech, offering excellent initiation and mid-turn control. The Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge surprised us with its stiffer flex and impressively athletic yet user-friendly turns, thanks to the Y3D camber. This board does have a longer sidecut and camber profile, and it took some serious effort to maneuver in tight quarters. Suppose these characteristics are not your chocolate milk. In that case, the Arbor Rain or Weston Gnarnia have longer sidecuts and robust camber profiles, which excel at longer radius turns, provide serious edge hold, and can make long, drawn-out turns at speed.

Float in Powder

Few things can top fresh powder turns with effortless flotation. In contrast, there is nothing more frustrating than nose-diving and continuous tomahawking on an epicly deep day. The rider experiencing effortless floatation is happily shredding powder from 9-4, while the rider who has just been tomahawked can be exhausted, frustrated, and potentially injured before lunch. When riding powder, the board's design can work either for or against you. The question is, how hard do you want to work?

Fully cambered boards have a downturned (frowny face) profile and contact points. While they are stronger carvers, they tend to dive into the snow, which makes you work significantly harder than upturned rocker profiles. The uplifted (smiley face) profile of a rocker model is looser when carving, but works to keep the tip of your board aloft so you can focus on your next pow turn instead of tumble.

To test this metric, we rode as many powder days as the winter gave us. Through turning, jumping, and rag-dolling, we were able to assess each model's powder prowess.

The best powder boards have several attributes in common: a tapered directional shape, directional camber, and the ability to set back the stance. The boards that floated above the rest were the Rome Ravine Pro, Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon, and the Jones Howler.

Our testing team's most beloved model for pow days, the Rome Ravine Pro, is a step above the rest and lives up to its name by absolutely ripping a freshly caked ravine. It was built with high-caliber powder riding in mind, from the lightly tapered 7.5 mm Directional shape to its oversized, scooped 3D nose and Free-the-Ride camber profile. All of this makes every single aspect of riding powder more enjoyable, from making long swooping turns at speed to quick, tight, nimble turns in heavily gladed fields. Once it came time to pop and drop our way through pillows and cliffs, the snappy carbon Hotrod infused tail gave us airtime and security when landing.

The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon was our next favorite model, designed to handle steep, powder runs for their pro team. It has a tapered directional twin shape that lends itself not only to riding powder regular, but also to riding and landing switch. Its hybrid camber profile is mostly cambered; however, the early tip and tail rocker do a proper job of providing float no matter which direction you face.

Another standout in chest-deep snow is the Jones Howler. This board was designed by two of Jones' team riders who are fanatics for the fluffy, fresh stuff. It's a tapered, directional, cambered snowboard, but with Jones' 3D contoured base, the tip and tail have early rise, providing a spooned-out, ultimately floaty snowboard. Its setback stance and sintered base also helped our team traverse cat tracks swiftly when it became low-angle and slow.

All of the other snowboards we tested are built for all-mountain shredding and therefore come with relatively decent float. The Weston Gnarnia features a moderate taper, a setback stance, and rocker on the tip and tail for improved feel. The Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge is a highly torqued directional twin with a setback stance and a 3D base profile that floats effortlessly on the snow. Even the Arbor Rain proved to be a beast in powder with its setback stance, parabolic camber, and directional twin shape, making landing switch a breeze. But there was one other that stood out amongst this middle pack, the El Camino.

The El Camino proved to be a force when dropping off cliffs and buttering down deep, snowy rolls. Its directional roots are concealed under a nearly twin-looking snowboard; however, with its 5mm of taper, oversized nose, and setback stance, this thing knows how to hold its head above the snow and saved our team's back legs after a long day. It also has Arbor's unique parabolic camber, which combines a traditional camber underfoot with a rockered nose and tail that improves float.

Stability at Speed

Riding security comes from feeling in control at high speeds, whether straight-lining or carving edge-to-edge. If your board feels squirrely at high speeds, you're likely to fall, and that is no fun — except for the people watching from the lift. To help you avoid this situation, we tested each board by straight-lining and carving at speeds high enough to put ourselves through some good old-fashioned wrecking. The board's camber profile, flex rating, and sidecut primarily determine each product's performance in terms of high-speed stability.

Boards with longer sidecuts, stiffer flexes, and cambered profiles generally perform better at high speeds. In contrast, they are often less playful and can be more challenging to ride at low speeds. Boards with rocker profiles and softer flex excel at slow to medium speeds and provide a more playful ride. However, these same attributes compromise a board's stability when blasting through chunder or straight-lining. These two designs are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Like the story of Goldilocks, most snowboarders are looking for something in the middle that's just right.

The models that held up exceptionally well throughout our breakneck-speed testing were the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon and the Arbor Rain. These two snowboards have predominantly cambered profiles, unique core constructions, and flex patterns that dampen chatter. Ultimately, the Goat Pro Carbon took a slight lead due to its extra-stiff flex pattern, titanal-infused core, and carbon fiber construction, which displayed superiority when tracking down the fall line and remained stable at speed over bumpy, uneven surfaces with very little chatter.

A much-appreciated attribute of any snowboard flying down the mountain can be its dampening properties. Damping refers to a board's ability to absorb micro chatter from slight inconsistencies in the snow surface. This becomes increasingly noticeable and important as you gain speed.

The most stable models were those with a mid-stiff profile, semi-damp construction, and added tech to eliminate chatter, like the Arbor El Camino, Rome Ravine Pro, and Jones Howler. We experienced little to no chatter on these models at high speeds or turning through uneven snow. The El Camino leverages its unique core construction of Poplar, paulownia, and carbon fiber, combined with a mostly cambered profile, to blast through burly bumps. It is also entirely wrapped in a single sidewall piece, which further solidifies this board for speedy carves and transitions on variable terrain. The Jones Howler relies heavily on its super-stiff flex pattern, extended radial sidecut, directional shape, and classically cambered profile to offer wicked stability when ripping at high speeds.

On the other hand, the Rome Ravine Pro is truly a work of art, relying heavily on technology for its stability and rugged qualities. It has integrated directional flax sidewalls and flax impact plates underfoot, all of which provide stability, durability, and even power on terrain subject to the heavy impacts of speedy riding. Its base profile is a hybrid camber, with the rear half cambered traditionally. Combine that with two integrated carbon fiber Hotrods in the tail, and the rear end transforms into a tank, handling bumps and holding its line straight down the run, or carving from one end of the slope to the other.

Bases are very important components of a snowboard's construction, helping you carry speed around the mountain. The Rome Ravine Pro, Never Summer Eclipse Proto T3, Cardiff Goat, and Jones Howler have the fastest bases in this review.

Playfulness

What is your primary goal on a board? Ours is to have the most fun possible, and most of the time, we're just looking to have an enjoyable day with our friends. Our playfulness metric judges just that: how easy it is to goof around and have fun on your board.

To test this metric, we made the tightest turns possible through the range of sidecuts. We popped off of side hits, buttered, and pressed our way around the mountain, wandering through trees. During testing, we found that big, stiff, and longer sidecut boards were not nearly as fun or versatile as smaller, softer, and shorter sidecut models.

Most playful boards feature medium flex, tight sidecuts, and a decent amount of tail. The attributes are synonymous with freestyle riding: defined as playing on jumps, rails, and snow features. Boards that performed well in this metci exhibit some or all of these characteristics.

Both the Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge and Weston Gnarnia feature a mid-short turn radius that provides versatile, fun riding anywhere on the hill. Additionally, the short radius turns, butters, and the forgiving ride create a fun experience for the rider. The Weston Gnarnia has a noodly flex pattern and feels looser than every other snowboard we tested, despite having inlaid carbon stringers, a setback stance, and a directional shape. This is due to the rocker-camber combo, with the nose and tail having rocker for supreme butterability.

The Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge has a playful approach across the board. This is derived from its symmetrical shape and Y3D base profile, which feels both sturdy and luxurious, yet responsive when engaged. This early rise in the edges creates a feel that is incredibly versatile yet stable. Its playful nature made it one of our favorite boards for riding the entire mountain, particularly in the park, on rails, and over features.

The Never Summer Eclipse Proto T3 is characterized by its hybrid, triple-camber profile. The Eclipes T3 can have a playful slashing style or a more carving-based approach to the mountain. Its split personality made it stand out for playfulness and overall fun. It can rip when you want to rip and play when you want to play. The easier-to-ride nature makes it a great choice for intermediates looking to upgrade to a board that helps them progress without fear of it being too aggressive or outgrowing its performance capabilities.

Other strong competitors in this metric were the Rome Ravine Pro, Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon, and Arbor El Camino. The rome brings playfulness through its soft, rockered, spoon-shaped nose, which is easy to butter along nearly any conditions except for full-on moguls. It also has plenty of spring when it comes to jumping and spinning off of side hits. The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon simply utilizes its high-end carbon fiber build to be light through tight turns and to spin off of lips easily, but it takes an advanced rider to actually discover these attributes. It can take a lot to engage the stiff flex of this board and make it playful.

The Arbor El Camino was a notable product for maneuvering around the mountain, with a playful nature. Its light core is responsive and maintains an enjoyable flex pattern, allowing our testers to butter from powder and pillows to hard pack and rails. Its parabolic camber and nearly twin design made our testers remark that it is one of the most versatile boards in the entire lineup.

While the Jones Stratos and Arbor Rain both take advanced to expert-level riders to really capitalize on their potential playfulness, they still make for a fun all-around experience. The torsional flex of the Jones helps control and feel the mid-part of your turn, aiding in slashing around the mountain. They both use camber profiles; however, the Arbor Rain's intense stiffness and full camber make it a difficult board to master.

Pop and Jumping

A healthy dose of pop can mean the difference between a dull, ground-level experience and an exciting, air-filled day. Maybe you want to ollie over ropes and slow signs, but how do you know which model has what it takes to pop you that high? Our team spent days popping around the mountain, ollieing, hitting park jumps, and flexing on the competitors in the parking lot.

The poppiest models feature largely cambered profiles, such as the Arbor Rain, Arbor El Camino, Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge, and Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon. This is due to the exponential energy return that stiffer camber profiles provide. Our testers were able to harness the most sprock from the Arbor Rain. Its classically full-cambered profile and slight early rise on the tip and tail make it a high-tensioned spring. The Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon displayed similar attributes. With a mostly camber profile, it continually sent us to the moon. However, the stiff profiles of both these snowboards make them challenging to pop; expert riders will achieve big results, but those still mastering the technique may not be able to coax as much spring from these models.

The Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge, and Arbor El Camino pack some serious pop that is easier to harvest than some of the stiffer boards. The Yes Airmaster has a cambered profile and a light poplar, bamboo, and paulownia core, which requires some preloading but can deliver significant returns with less effort. It also features extra carbon stripes from the hole inserts through both the nose and tail, giving you a little extra spring. We enjoyed the easier-to-ollie yet stiff and powerful feel. The El Camino features similar carbon strips running along either side of the board and a carbon-infused core composed of 80% paulownia, resulting in its snappiest and lightest interior build yet. It can be easily preloaded at any speed and produces a healthy amount of pop. It was consistent across jumps of all sizes, instilling greater confidence as we progressed.

Another highly poppy snowboard is the Rome Ravine Pro. Although it has a hybrid camber profile with rocker on the nose, the tail of this board is made to put its rider in the air. With a healthily cambered tail, carbon hotrods, and the lightest and poppiest core that Rome makes, there is more than enough jet fuel in this snowboard to launch into outer space. It provides consistent pop that develops far in the tail, and transfers through the hotrods into your back foot. With two rods, the pop is more consistent and stable off the lip.

What goes up must come down. Landing security is just as important as pop. If you are not able to put down a clean landing on the balls of the feet, the board should provide a margin for you to recover, rather than looping out and sliding down the landing.

As a rule of thumb, cambered profiles (which feature stiffer profiles and more edge contact with the snow) provide a larger landing margin. Also, boards with larger tails like the Cardiff Goat Pro Carbon, Yes Airmaster XTRM Fridge, and Arbor Rain will provide a larger margin for backseat landings than setback boards with smaller tails like the Weston Gnarnia.

How to Pick the Best Snowboard for You

There are four key buying considerations to help narrow down your snowboard selection. Factors like shape, size, and your riding style can help you determine the right board. You can check out our in-depth buying advice article, or read on below for a quick FAQ.

Conclusion

The goal of this review is to match you to the perfect board. We tested the characteristics, benefits, and drawbacks of each board and identified the metrics that are most important for most people, and found the models that thrive in those areas. For more specific information on each board, check out the individual reviews to get to know the ins and outs of each model. Here at OutdoorGearLab, we snowboard because it's fun and allows us to live in that moment of stoke. Whichever board you choose, we're guessing you'll be happy just to be out on the mountain cultivating that stoke. Happy Turns.